Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Laban » Outwitted by jacob
Then Jacob took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled white strips on them, exposing the white which [was] on the branches. And he set the branches that he had peeled in front of the flocks, in the troughs [and] in the water containers. And they were in heat when they came to drink. And the flocks mated by the branches, so the flocks bore streaked, speckled, and spotted. read more.
And Jacob separated the lambs and turned the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the dark-colored in Laban's flocks. And he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with the flocks of Laban. And whenever any of the stronger of the flocks were in heat, Jacob put the branches {in full view} of the flock in the troughs that they might mate among the branches. But with the more feeble of the flock he would not put [them there]. So the feebler were Laban's and the stronger [were] Jacob's. And the man became {exceedingly} rich and had large flocks, female slaves, male slaves, camels, and donkeys.
And Jacob separated the lambs and turned the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the dark-colored in Laban's flocks. And he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with the flocks of Laban. And whenever any of the stronger of the flocks were in heat, Jacob put the branches {in full view} of the flock in the troughs that they might mate among the branches. But with the more feeble of the flock he would not put [them there]. So the feebler were Laban's and the stronger [were] Jacob's. And the man became {exceedingly} rich and had large flocks, female slaves, male slaves, camels, and donkeys.
Now he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, "Jacob has taken all that our father has," and "From that which [was] our father's he has gained all this wealth." Then Jacob saw the face of Laban and, behold, {it was not like it had been in the past}. And Yahweh said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your ancestors and to your family, and I will be with you." read more.
So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flocks, and he said to them, "Look, I see the face of your father, that {it is not like it has been toward me in the past}. But the God of my father is with me. Now you yourselves know that I have served your father with all my strength, and your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not allowed him to harm me. If thus he said, 'Speckled shall be your wage,' then all the flock bore speckled. And [if] he said, 'Streaked shall be your wage,' then all the flock bore streaked. God has taken away your father's livestock and given [them] to me. Now it happened [that] at the time of the mating of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams mounting the flock [were] streaked, speckled, and dappled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I [am].' And he said, 'Lift up your eyes and see--all the rams mounting the flock [are] streaked, speckled, and dappled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I [am] the God of Bethel where you anointed a stone pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now get up, go out from this land and return to the land of your birth.'" Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "[Is there] yet a portion for us, and an inheritance in the house of our father? Are we not regarded [as] foreigners by him, because he has sold us and completely consumed our money? For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father, it belongs to us and to our sons. So now, all that God has said to you, do." Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on the camels. And he drove all his livestock and his possessions that he had acquired, the livestock of his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-Aram, in order to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father. And Jacob {tricked} Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he [intended to] flee. Then he fled with all that he had, and arose and crossed the Euphrates and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flocks, and he said to them, "Look, I see the face of your father, that {it is not like it has been toward me in the past}. But the God of my father is with me. Now you yourselves know that I have served your father with all my strength, and your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not allowed him to harm me. If thus he said, 'Speckled shall be your wage,' then all the flock bore speckled. And [if] he said, 'Streaked shall be your wage,' then all the flock bore streaked. God has taken away your father's livestock and given [them] to me. Now it happened [that] at the time of the mating of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams mounting the flock [were] streaked, speckled, and dappled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I [am].' And he said, 'Lift up your eyes and see--all the rams mounting the flock [are] streaked, speckled, and dappled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I [am] the God of Bethel where you anointed a stone pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now get up, go out from this land and return to the land of your birth.'" Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "[Is there] yet a portion for us, and an inheritance in the house of our father? Are we not regarded [as] foreigners by him, because he has sold us and completely consumed our money? For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father, it belongs to us and to our sons. So now, all that God has said to you, do." Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on the camels. And he drove all his livestock and his possessions that he had acquired, the livestock of his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-Aram, in order to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father. And Jacob {tricked} Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he [intended to] flee. Then he fled with all that he had, and arose and crossed the Euphrates and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
Leah » Flees with jacob
Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on the camels.
Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "[Is there] yet a portion for us, and an inheritance in the house of our father?
And he put the female slaves and their children first, then Leah and her children next, then Rachel with Joseph last. And he himself passed on before them and bowed down to the ground seven times until he came to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept. read more.
Then Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, "Who [are] these with you?" And he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." Then the female servants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed down. Then Leah and her children drew near and bowed down, and afterward Joseph and Rachel drew near and they bowed down.
Then Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, "Who [are] these with you?" And he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." Then the female servants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed down. Then Leah and her children drew near and bowed down, and afterward Joseph and Rachel drew near and they bowed down.
Rachel » Steals the household images (teraphim, legal deed) of her father
Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "[Is there] yet a portion for us, and an inheritance in the house of our father? Are we not regarded [as] foreigners by him, because he has sold us and completely consumed our money? For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father, it belongs to us and to our sons. So now, all that God has said to you, do." read more.
Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on the camels. And he drove all his livestock and his possessions that he had acquired, the livestock of his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-Aram, in order to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.
Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on the camels. And he drove all his livestock and his possessions that he had acquired, the livestock of his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-Aram, in order to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.
Then Laban went into Jacob's tent and Leah's tent and the tent of the two female servants and did not find [his gods]. And he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's tent. Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them in the saddle bag of the camel and sat on them. And Jacob searched the whole tent thoroughly but did not find them. And she said to her father, "Let there not be anger in the eyes of my lord, for I am not able to rise before you, for the way of women [is] with me. And he searched carefully and did not find the idols.
Wife » Loyal
Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "[Is there] yet a portion for us, and an inheritance in the house of our father? Are we not regarded [as] foreigners by him, because he has sold us and completely consumed our money? For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father, it belongs to us and to our sons. So now, all that God has said to you, do."